1. Field of Present Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and a toner container ordering method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus, a development is performed with toner provided from a toner container for printing. In an image forming apparatus, a toner residual amount in a toner container is estimated from an output of a physical sensor, and if the toner residual amount reaches a predetermined value or less, then a near empty status of the toner residual amount is informed and an order of a toner container is placed.
When the toner residual amount is estimated from an output of a physical sensor as mentioned, an estimation error at a low toner residual amount is large due to uneven distribution of toner in a toner container and so forth.
Usually, when the near empty status is informed, a user prepares a new toner container. However, when the near empty status is informed of a toner container, in order to fully use residual toner, some users detach and shake the toner container, and then reattach the toner container to the apparatus. This operation may cancel the uneven distribution of toner in the toner container and consequently may increase the toner residual amount value estimated from the sensor output and may temporarily cancel the near empty status. In such a case, the near empty status is detected afterward, the near empty status is informed again.
Therefore, if at the near empty status the toner container is detached and reattached, then the near empty status is detected plural times, and consequently for one toner container, plural orders of toner containers are redundantly placed.